Gallows Hill

Ruby, Lois. Gallows Hill. 2023. 216p. ISBN 9781728431024.

 

In the year 1692, Salem, Massachusetts, becomes the backdrop for a gripping tale as Thomas, a young Quaker orphan, arrives from England. Immediately ostracized by the dominant Puritan community, he finds himself without shelter or means of support. In a twist of fate, he's taken in by Prudence Blevins, an elderly widow whispered to be a witch. This association only deepens his already precarious position in the distrustful town.

Meanwhile, Patience, a young Puritan woman who has always strived for piety, finds her structured world collapsing when her younger sister, Abigail, succumbs to a mysterious illness. This affliction, mirroring the torments of other Salem girls, leads to accusations of witchcraft and demonic influence. As Abigail and others begin to name their neighbors as witches, fear and paranoia grip the community. Amidst this escalating hysteria, Thomas and Patience are compelled to seek the truth, challenging their deeply held beliefs, loyalties, and their very identities in Salem as they desperately fight to protect those they care about.

History Smashers: The Mayflower

Messner, Kate. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. History Smashers: The Mayflower. 2020. 224p. ISBN 9780593120316. Available at 974.4 MES on the library shelves.

We have all been told about how the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving with pumpkin pies and cranberry sauce. But that really didn't happen. History Smashers: The Mayflower dismantles the commonly accepted, simplified narrative of the Pilgrims' arrival in Plymouth. It challenges the familiar story of immediate friendship with the Wampanoag and the iconic corn offering, revealing that these events occurred months later. Inaccuracies and omissions in traditional accounts are exposed, highlighting the complex and often overlooked realities of the Pilgrims' journey. The book reveals their extended stay in another location before reaching Plymouth, and the troubled voyage involving a leaky second ship, the Speedwell.

Through a dynamic blend of illustrations, graphic panels, and photographs, History Smashers: The Mayflower presents a more nuanced and accurate portrayal of this pivotal historical period. Myths surrounding Plymouth Rock are debunked, and a deeper understanding of the interactions between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people is presented. By discussing these little-known details, we are challenged to reconsider our understanding of history and perform a more critical examination of established narratives.

The Great Hurricane: 1938

 Burns, Cherie. The Great Hurricane: 1938. 2005. 240p. ISBN 978-0-8711-3893-4. Available at 974.04 BUR on the library shelves.

On September 21, 1938, all eyes of the world was concerned that Adolf Hitler was ready to attack Czechoslovakia. News headlines screamed that war was coming. In New York and New England, those concerns were balanced with the need to put summer homes in order before winter arrived. Families still on the beaches on Long Islands and Rhodes Island were spending a few more days before they returned in their city residences. Locals were working or fishing. And out at sea the largest hurricane to hit the area was brewing. In an era where satellites did not exist and telephone and radio networks were easily disrupted, no one saw this storm coming, with dire consequences.

Long Island was the first to bear the brunt of the Great Hurricane of 1938. Houses were taken off their foundations and crushed in the sea. Large waves moved massive concrete and granite barriers. The water crested fifteen feet above the highest tide ever recorded. People who were watching the surf and the storm approach were swept away, and even those who took shelter in houses were hurt as roofs blew away and windows shattered. Telephone poles were snapped, and all communications ceased. It was impossible to warn the people across Long Island Sound that a storm was coming their way.

In Rhodes Island, resort towns were slowly winding down. No bad weather was forecasted. Local fishermen noticed the drop in barometric pressure and wisely stayed in harbor. Others ignored the warnings and went fishing anyway. When the storm hit, it destroyed everything in its path, causing millions of dollars in damages, killing hundreds of people, and forever affecting the communities in its path.

As the threats of war continued unabated in Europe, the Great Hurricane of 1938 became a footnote in New England history, and was barely discussed elsewhere in the country. It became this catastrophic storm that most have never heard of. Fans of history and of impressive weather events will appreciate the tale of a day that forever changed New England. Told hour by hour, and featuring a cast of hundreds of survivors and victims, this effective reconstruction of the deadliest storm in New England history is sure to make the reader wonder twice about their safety the next time a hurricane comes to New Hampshire.

Beyond the Bright Sea

Wolk, Lauren. Beyond the Bright Sea. 2017. 283p. ISBN 978-1-101-99-485-6. Available at FIC WOL on the library shelves.

Placed in a boat shortly after her birth, the baby girl was cast at sea. When found by a solitary man living on a small island off the larger island of Cuttyhunk, which is part of the Elizabeth chain of islands, the girl was named Crow. She not only survived in Osh’s gentle hands, but thrived and became an inquisitive girl.

At 12, Crow has spent her entire life on their island, living in a makeshift house but not wanting for anything. Everyone on Cuttyhunk assumes she came from Pekinese, Massachusett’s only leper colony, and treat her as a leper even though she has no symptoms. Crow has always been curious about where she came from, but both Osh and her other friend, Miss Maggie, who lives across the sandbar from them, has told her not to look into her past too closely as surely nothing good will come of it.

When Crow begins digging, however, she comes upon a dangerous mystery that involves a treasure left behind by the famous pirate Captain Kidd. Others are also searching the treasure, however, and as Crow seeks to unravel her past it throws the present into turmoil, with Osh, the father who is not her father, concerned that their relationship might change if she discovers who she truly is. But as she explores the dangerous past of the leper colony, Crow realizes that home and family are what you make of it, and not what others tell you they ought to be.

Beautifully written, Crow’s story will be appreciated by readers who enjoy a light mystery and those who like historical fiction.